


Not Real

by Coalmine301



Series: Whumptober 2020 [23]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Feels, Blindness, Denial, Gen, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, attempted rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coalmine301/pseuds/Coalmine301
Summary: At last she stopped right in front of him, yellow orbs boring violently into blue. “Don’t worry, Kenobi,” she cooed, gently. Obi-wan’s gut rolled in revolution but he gave no outward sign. “I have a gift for you. Something to remember me by.”
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Asajj Ventress
Series: Whumptober 2020 [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908538
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	Not Real

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Whumptober prompt "Blindness"

“It seems our time together is at an end, my dear,” Ventress sneered. 

Those words were enough for a heavy dread to settle in Obi-wan’s stomach. Not the words themselves -no, that was almost good news- it was the sick grin Ventress wore as she said them. She had something special planned. 

The redhead didn’t have the strength nor courage to ask what she meant. All he could do was silently watch with wary eyes as she circled his restrained form. 

Her own eyes gleamed amber in the darkness. Predatory. 

At last she stopped right in front of him, yellow orbs boring violently into blue. “Don’t worry, Kenobi,” she cooed, gently. Obi-wan’s gut rolled in revolution but he gave no outward sign. “I have a gift for you. Something to remember me by.”

“Thank you,” Obi-wan rasped in response. 

Experience taught him that any “gift” of hers would be far from pleasant, but she always expected a verbal thanks for everything she gave him. He knew what would happen if he didn’t.

“Close your eyes,” instructed gently. Fingertips moved to hold his eyelids in place. The slight pressure was uncomfortable, but no worse than what he experienced before.

A long silence followed, no more words being uttered. The only thing Obi-wan could hear was the soft puffs of their breaths. It was then that he noticed those infernal fingers against his eyelids had since retreated. 

Logically he could open his eyes any time. Yet he kept them firmly shut. Ventress never liked it when he disobeyed a direct order, even one given so sweetly. And she was still standing right there, after all.

Or was she? The only breaths he heard were his own.

Obi-wan cracked open a single eye only to be met with impenetrable, inky darkness. The second eye confirmed the same. Cautiously, Obi-wan craned his neck to look around. No matter which way he turned the sight was the same. Just an endless expanse of nothingness stretching out in every direction.

Already he could feel panic starting to build in his throat. His cell had been dark, sure, but not this dark. Not this void completely absent of light. 

“Look at me.”

Obi-wan startled, head instinctively whipping around to find where Ventress’ voice came from. The attempt was instinctual, desperate, but ultimately fruitless. Only the endless darkness stared back. 

“Until we meet again,” Ventress boasted. “You won’t see at all.”

Obi-wan’s breath was coming faster now, little more than panicked gasps. It couldn’t be. 

It was then that the horror started to dawn on him. He had no idea if Ventress had left or if she was still here. Silently watching in the corner as he panicked. Planning her next strike as she watched him like a tooka watched an injured lothrat. 

And Obi-wan feared.

Obi-wan didn’t remember falling asleep. Nevertheless he found himself awoken by the sound of his cell door slamming open.

“Obi-wan!” A voice called out. One he hadn’t heard in several months.

The hurried pad of boots against stone, the rustle of fabric. Two hands -one flesh one metal- clamped firmly onto his shoulders. 

“Obi-wan, are you alright?” He could practically feel sapphire eyes run over his form.

When no response came this hands turned their attention elsewhere. The redhead could feel the ropes around him going slack before falling away completely.

Apparently Ventress’ illusions were getting more adventurous. Bordering more and more on real each time. 

But they weren’t real. Obi-wan had played this game enough times to know this was nothing but an illusion. 

Obi-wan chuckled brokenly. “Not real.”

His padawan had rightfully despised him from the beginning for living when Qui-gon had died. The longhaired man would have made a much better mentor than Obi-wan could have ever hoped to be. 

Instead, Anakin was left with the failure. The scrawny redhead who shouldn’t have walked out of that Theed generator. No matter how hard he tried, how desperately he reached out, Obi-wan could never be what Anakin needed. They both knew that.

And so there was no way this could be the real Anakin.

There was a pause before the voice -it wasn’t Anakin, there was no way this could be Anakin- continued. “Obi-wan, I’m real,” it insisted. “Can’t you see me?”

Obi-wan pulled out of the illusion’s grip. A hand reached out, only to be immediately shrugged off. As much as he wanted it to be so, this wasn’t a rescue. It was only a trap. One of Ventress’ devious tricks. 

“I’m real!” Not-Anakin yelled, voice bordering on a sob. 

Obi-wan flinched but didn’t look over. It wasn’t like it would accomplish anything anyway.

“Not real,” Obi-wan insisted, shaking his head. 

Something wet slid down his cheek but he didn’t move to wipe it away. It wasn’t like anyone would see him cry. All he had to do was ignore this oddly persistent hallucination for long enough and it would all go away.

As much as his heart wished it was so Obi-wan knew this was nothing more than a clever illusion made to trick him. To lure him into yet another trap.

The real Anakin would never come for him.

**Author's Note:**

> ... little does he know that IS the real Anakin


End file.
